1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a damping member for use in an electronic device such as a wristwatch and a mobile phone to damp an external shock, a shock damping structure in the electronic device, and an electronic device using the shock damping structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, as disclosed in a Japanese Patent Application KOKAI Publication No. 2000-46964, a wristwatch is known, which includes a shock damping structure configured to dispose a plurality of shock damping members between a wristwatch case and a timepiece module encased within the case and to damp an external shock applied on the case by these shock damping members to protect the timepiece module. In such a case of the shock damping structure of the wristwatch, each of the shock damping members is formed by a material having elasticity such as rubber.
That is, in the plurality of shock damping members, a part of the shock damping members is arranged in a ring shape on a peripheral portion of an upper surface of the timepiece module and damps a shock applied on an upper surface side of the wristwatch case. And, the other part of the shock damping members is arranged flat on a lower surface of the timepiece module so as to damp a shock applied on a lower surface side of the wristwatch case.
In the case of this conventional shock damping structure of the wristwatch, each of the plurality of shock damping members is formed by the material having elasticity such as rubber. Thus, when the case gets external shock, the shock damping members are deformed elastically and damp elastically the shock not to transmit the shock to the timepiece module. Therefore, a range of the shock force absorbed by the plurality of shock damping members is limited in accordance with the elasticity of the shock damping members.
That is, with such a shock damping structure, the shock is damped depending on the elasticity of the shock damping member. Thus, when the shock damping member gets a strong shock which elastically deforms the shock damping member, the shock damping member can damp the shock. But, when the shock damping member gets a weak shock which does not elastically deforms the shock damping member, the shock damping member can not absorb the shock so that the shock is transmitted directly to the timepiece module.
An object of the present invention is to provide a damping member, a shock damping structure for an electric device, and an electric device, capable of securely absorbing any shock, whether it is strong or weak.